Faustin Betbeder

Faustin

(1847 - 1914?, France)

Simple histoire (L'Eclipse 135, 21 August 1870)

Faustin Betbeder was a French caricaturist born in Soissons in 1847. He was especially known for his sets of lithographs with unflattering caricatures of personalities from the Franco-Prussian war. These also included a set about the women in besieged Paris ('Les femmes de Paris assiégé - Idylles et Epopées'). Faustin's prints were refused by papers, but did sell over 50,000 copies when the artist published them himself.

Betbeder, who mainly signed with his first name, also published his work in satirical magazines like Le Grelot and L'Éclipse. He moved to Britain after war, where he was a caricaturist with The London Sketch-book from 1873 until 1874.